RINDGE, N.H. – The Pace University baseball team saw its Northeast-10 Conference Championship run come to a close on Friday. After a huge upset on Thursday over top-ranked Franklin Pierce University, the Setters fell to nationally-ranked No. 4/8 (Collegiate Baseball/NCBWA), and Northeast-Division No. 2 Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), 8-2, sending the Setters to Friday's elimination game against Southwest-Division No. 4 College of Saint Rose. Saint Rose went on to pick up a 7-3 victory in the game to advance to Saturday's Championship against SNHU.
Game 8: No. 4/8 Southern New Hampshire 8, Pace 2
Friday's winner's bracket game got off to a fast start, as the Penmen got on the board in the top of the second to kick off the scoring for the day. Designated hitter Matt Rabbito doubled in a run to take a 1-0 lead. The Setters could not have responded quicker, as junior first baseman
Garrett De Lotto (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) led off the bottom of the inning by blasting a solo shot over the right-field fence to tie the game.
SNHU took the lead again in the top of the third with a two-run rally. Second baseman Mike Mastroberti hit a sacrifice fly to right to bring in the first urn, and then a wild pitch brought in third baseman Zach Goldstein to make it a 3-1 game. The Penmen added another run in the fifth on an RBI single up the middle by center fielder Carson Helms, making it 4-1 in favor of SNHU.
The Setters got back on the board in the bottom of the sixth when junior center fielder
John Kukura (New City, NY/Clarkstown South) hit a solo shot over the left-center field wall, getting Pace back within two runs. That unfortunately ended the scoring for Pace in the game, as SNHU went on to bring in four more runs across the final three innings to pick up the 8-2 victory.
SNHU starter Alex Person advanced to 9-0 after tossing 5.2 innings and allowing two runs. Mitchell Powers picked up his second save with a 3.1 inning relief appearance. Graduate starter
Tim Deegan (Levittown, NY/Kellenberg Memorial) took the loss after giving up four runs in 4.2 frames.
Kukura went 3-for-4 with his solo home run in the game. De Lotto also hit a solo shot and finished up 1-for-3.
SNHU was led by shortstop Manny Cruz, who went 1-for-2 with two RBIs and a run. Helms hit 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Goldstein batted 1-for-3 two runs scored.
Game 9: Saint Rose 7, Pace 3
The Setters were knocked out of the NE-10 Championships by Southwest-Division foe Saint Rose, which has made an incredible run to advance to the Championship as the lowest-ranked team heading into the tournament. Saint Rose advanced to Championship Weekend after upsetting Southwest No. 1 Adelphi University on Tuesday, 4-0. The Golden Knights dropped the weekend's opener to SNHU, but rebounded to upset and eliminate Franklin Pierce Thursday night in the first elimination game of the weekend.
Saint Rose quickly got on the scoreboard in Game 9 of the NE-10 Tournament, as shortstop Tyler Ungerland plated designated hitter Nick Venier with a one-out single in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead. It was not until the fourth inning that the Setters got on the board and tied the game. De Lotto led off with a single up the middle, and then junior right fielder
Cory Capaldi (Telford, PA/Souderton) singled through the left side to get two runners on. Senior catcher
Frank Mayo (Middletown, NY/Minisink Valley) sacrificed both of them into scoring position, and then senior third baseman
Nick LoBello (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) walked to load the bases. Junior designated hitter
James Wynne (North Salem, NY/North Salem) then brought in the first Pace run with a sacrifice fly to right, scoring De Lotto to tie the game at 1-1.
The tie score did not last for long, as the Golden Knights got back on the board in the top of the fifth. With a runner on third, center fielder Derek Reed legged out an infield single to score second baseman Mike Flynn and make it a 2-1 game in favor of Saint Rose. The Golden Knights added to their lead in the top of the eighth when Venier sent a fly ball over the right-center field wall, scoring two more runs to make it 4-1.
With one out in the home half of the eighth, sophomore left fielder
Michael Gulino (Meriden, CT/Maloney) hit a ground-rule double that bounced over the left-field fence. De Lotto then skied a double down the left-field line, scoring Gulino to get back within two. Capaldi followed up with a single to center to bring De Lotto around to score and make it a 4-3 game.
With one away in the top of the next inning, first baseman Chris Introcaso singled, and then left fielder Dakota DeJordy doubled to left-center to bring in another run for Saint Rose. Reed then homered to left-center, pushing the Golden Knights' lead to the eventual final score of 7-3.
Saint Rose starter Ryan McGrath got the win after tossing five innings and allowing just one run. Carmine Vricciariello earned his third save with 1.2 hitless frames. Sophomore starter
Ryan Aquino (Mamaroneck, NY/Rye Neck) had a solid outing for Pace, allowing just three earned runs in 7.1 innings, but took the loss to fall to 3-2.
De Lotto went 2-for-3 with two runs, an RBI and a double for Pace in Friday's finale. Capaldi also hit 2-for-3, knocking in a run. Gulino batted 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Wynne also knocked in a run after going 1-for-3.
Venier went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, two runs, a home run and a pair of doubles to lead the Golden Knights to the win in Friday's elimination game. Reed hit 2-for-4 with three RBIs, a run and a home run. Ungerland batted 3-for-4 with an RBI.
The Setters leave Rindge, N.H. with a 30-22 overall record, having picked up their biggest win of the year on Thursday by defeating No. 1/3 Franklin Pierce. Saint Rose and SNHU will face off in Game 10 of the tournament on Saturday at 4 p.m. The Penmen need just one win to claim the Northeast-10 Conference Title, while Saint Rose will need to defeat SNHU twice to win the Championship.
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